Answer: Commercial interests and the frenetic pace of contemporary life have distorted the rhythm of Advent and Christmas in our culture. In this rush, we can forget that the Church offers a more natural, humane rhythm through her liturgy and traditions. Many people hurry toward December 25th and, by the morning of the 26th, are ready to put Christmas aside and move on.

Several years ago, while flying to a conference, I picked up John Grisham's short satire Skipping Christmas. Its humorous take on the knots people can tie themselves into during the holiday madness reminded me how easily I can lose peace as Christmas approaches, and that I need not follow the frenzy.

That is why it is good for Catholics to reclaim the pace of the Church's Sacred Time. Advent invites us to remember Christ's coming in history, to rejoice in His presence now, and to look forward with hope to His return. With a little prayerfulness and intention, we can tame the anxiety of the season and adopt a gentler pace that opens us to God's grace.
Begin with a simple family conversation. Ask how you might celebrate Advent and Christmas intentionally, choosing practices that deepen faith rather than multiply obligations. Consider simplifying or setting aside customs that create stress or overshadow the season's true meaning. Decide together what you want this time of year to signify and how detachment from the cultural rush might bring greater joy. Remind one another that relationships matter far more than material things and let your gift-giving be proportionate to the humility of Christ, who came among us in simplicity.

Use the Church's Advent practices as guideposts of hope. Light the Advent wreath each evening and let each person name a grace received or a need entrusted to God. Sing a verse of an Advent hymn before dinner or bedtime—O Come, O Come Emmanuel; People Look East; Creator of the Stars of Night. Let decorating become a moment to teach the "three comings of Christ": His birth in Bethlehem, His daily coming in faith, and His final coming in glory. Explain the spiritual meaning of the tree, the crèche, and the candles. Find books to read, films to watch, and activities to enjoy that help one focus on the gift of Christ, the Word made flesh. Choose to spread Advent's hope to the poor, those who are alone, or need to know God's love and mercy.  

To complete your Advent preparation, plan not just for Christmas Day but for marking the twelve days of Christmas —from December 25th through January 6th, the traditional date for Epiphany. When we choose a more human rhythm, Advent becomes a season of joyful expectation, not a struggle to keep up with a world rushing past the wonder and awe in the mystery of Christ's coming.